HPE NonStop

HPE NonStop is a fault-tolerant computing platform for mission-critical workloads, including high-volume online transaction processing (OLTP). It uses redundant hardware and software components, parallel processing, and automatic failover so that applications keep running through hardware or software failures. The platform combines an operating system, database, security, management, and development tools.

Key Capabilities

• Failure handling: The operating system monitors processors, disks, and networks with periodic "alive" heartbeat messages. When it detects a fault, it fails over to hot-standby backup processes that receive real-time checkpoints of state and data.
• Systems: The HPE NonStop Compute NS9 X5 targets high-volume OLTP. The NS5 X5 targets smaller enterprises, distributed computing, and development environments. Both use x86 architecture.
• Virtualized deployment: HPE Virtualized NonStop Software runs the platform on customer-chosen infrastructure in an enterprise private cloud. It is backward compatible with applications on x86-based NonStop Compute systems.
• Database and continuity options: A multi-tenant, self-provisioning, fault-tolerant database supports existing SQL-based customers. Business continuity software provides real-time failover to a geographically distant system. It also replicates NonStop database data into databases on other server platforms.
• Security and management options: Security options use a zero trust design with machine-learning-based monitoring. Management tools cover configuration, workload management, performance management, availability monitoring, capacity planning, and SNMP. An Eclipse-based IDE covers application development, build, deployment, and debugging.

Audience & Use Cases

• Audience: IT administrators and application developers running transaction-heavy systems.
• Use Case: Banking transactions, payment systems, stock exchanges, and telecom networks, where downtime would interrupt service or leave data inconsistent.

Technical Specifications

• Architecture: Fault-tolerant, shared-nothing design with process pairs and mirrored disks.
• Systems: NS9 X5 and NS5 X5 (x86).
• Deployment models: Physical systems, or HPE Virtualized NonStop Software in a private cloud.
• Purchasing: A GreenLake Flex option offers pay-as-you-go consumption.